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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. current — electric
  5. face — to confront
  6. root — of a word
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. root — the cause
  9. plane — a tool
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. face — to point toward
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fine — all right
  15. root — of a plant
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fine — high quality
  19. current — happening now
  20. face — part of the head
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com